1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fluid treatment. In one aspect, the invention relates to the field of fluidic cartridges and the end pieces thereof that are capable of actuating one or more valves of an appliance. In another aspect, the invention relates to a refrigerator using treated water that is treated using a fluidic cartridge.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water treatment cartridges are known in the art. One use of such cartridges is to treat water for use in a refrigerator. The treated water is often used to supply an ice maker or a drinking water supply. Examples of refrigerators using cartridges or cartridges suitable for use in a refrigerator are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,826,854, 6,120,685, and 6,337,015. These cartridges have an inlet, an outlet, and a filter material in fluid communication with the inlet and the outlet.
Some of these cartridges open a valve in the inlet and/or the outlet of a head assembly fitting to which the cartridge attaches. Examples of such arrangements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,256,285, 5,607,582, and 5,753,111. These valves are typically actuated in a direction linear with the engagement of the filter cartridge, requiring the casing receiving the cartridge to be at least as long as the valve.
Some known cartridges can be used to actuate valves other than an inlet and/or an outlet valve. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,339,776 and 3,852,196 disclose a filter and valve arrangement whereby connecting or disconnecting the filter cartridge from the inlet/outlet valves of the system's body also automatically opens or closes a bypass valve.
While these cartridges may have been useful for their intended purpose, within the refrigerator environment there is a desire to provide a more compact water treatment cartridge arrangement that can actuate inlet and outlet valves when inserted into a confined space. The desire for a more compact cartridge relates to conflicting requirements of the refrigerator environment where, on one hand, for aesthetic purposes it is preferred to locate the cartridge within the refrigerator cabinet, and, on another hand, it is preferred to locate the cartridge externally of the refrigerator cabinet to prevent the cartridge from taking up valuable storage space that could otherwise be used to store food. It is also preferred that the cartridge be located for easy access by the user to increase the likelihood that the user will replace the cartridge.
The refrigeration environment preferences are balanced with the performance requirements for the cartridge. For example, there is a desire to maximize the length of treatment cartridges, thus increasing treatment material, thus increasing cartridge performance in confined spaces. Further, there is a desire to provide a treatment cartridge that utilizes a mechanical advantage in actuating an inlet and/or an outlet valve. Still further, there is a desire to provide a treatment cartridge that can accomplish any of the foregoing and is also capable of actuating a bypass valve (or other feature) located on the head assembly into which the cartridge is inserted.